On Wednesday, May 18^th the Microsoft Volume Licensing team hosted an interactive session for TechEd North America attendees. This is a departure from the classic technical sessions that make up the majority of sessions at TechEd.

Attendees have requested volume licensing information to help them with planning, deployment and support of their technology investments. This year, the primary topic was focused on how to leverage their existing Enterprise Agreement (EA) and take advantage of new public and private cloud solution scenarios.

Posted by, Mark Croft
Director, WWLP Business Marketing Group, Microsoft

Often the hyperbole surrounding a hot topic ends up eclipsing the details that provide clarity on the topic itself. “Migration to the cloud” has become such a phrase, and is frequently batted around within the IT industry today - and yet only hand waves in four short words at a critical trend. A more accurate notion is based on the perspective of bringing the power of cloud computing into your organization, at your pace, on your terms. It’s an additive ingredient to the IT mix rather than a departure and arrival at a different destination.

This was one of the key points made by Robert Wahbe during his keynote at TechEd. And just as the spectrum of IT infrastructure and delivery options are transforming, so must licensing models to meet the new demands and opportunities introduced by cloud computing.

Posted by Joe Matz
Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Licensing and Pricing, Microsoft

Acquiring software licenses for multiple users and systems at once within an organization makes it easier and more affordable. In short, that’s volume licensing, and this blog is dedicated to discussing, exploring and demystifying what it’s all about so our customers can get on with business, equipped with the best tools and services to succeed.

By acquiring software licenses through Microsoft Volume Licensing (VL) programs, you not only benefit from the number of users and systems outfitted, but you can often save costs typically associated with shrink-wrapped boxes, physical media (CD-ROM or DVD), printed consumer users’ guides, shipping, and other costs. Volume licensing also provides customized purchasing options and improved software management.

From small companies to large enterprises, cloud computing is an important new revolution in how we think about software and services.

PCs started transforming the workplace in the 1990s, when the emergence of personal computers made highly-specialized applications more accessible to everyone. When the Internet emerged, many applications became “internet-facing,” which means that they could communicate over standards-based Web protocols. This idea was revolutionary—and still remains popular—because you can reuse simple parts to create more complex solutions.

As part of regular and ongoing customer engagement, Microsoft Worldwide Licensing and Pricing (WWLP) executives, Joe Matz, Microsoft corporate vice president (second from left), and Richard Smith, general manager of business marketing (at right), headed over to Hanover, Germany, to meet with chief information officers (CIOs) from several of Europe’s largest companies in conjunction with CeBIT 2011, the biggest worldwide IT fair. Over several days they visited with and listened to customer feedback, as well as shared their latest thinking related to the rapidly evolving strategies regarding licensing and pricing.